To access Lesotho (leh-soo-too), we flew from Eswatini, through Johannesburg, to Durban (in South Africa). We were then driven 3 hours (in the most dense fog I’ve ever experienced – it was scary how poor the visibility was!) to Underberg, which is a town at the base of the Drakenburg Mountains, which span about 200km (125 mi) from North to South (we were in the south). There are Bushman paintings in the mountains and, as a result, the mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage site, which protects those paintings. When the fog cleared the next day, the scenery was stunning! Underberg (with a population of 100,000 people) is the closest South African town from which we could access the Sani Pass, which took us to Lesotho. When in Underberg, we were about 1500m (4921ft) above sea level, and by the time we arrived in Lesotho, we had risen to 2874m (9429ft) above sea level. As a result, it was significantly cooler, and most of us had come prepared with jackets, hats, and scarves. It can get to -12C (10F) in winter, with the lowest recorded temperature being -21C (-6F).
The Sani Pass is a winding, bumpy, gravel road that leads from South Africa to Lesotho. The last 8km (approx. 5 mi) is the actual Pass, and is the part that is most winding and bumpy. It is in that 8km that we climbed 1000m. We had an experienced driver (in a 4×4, as those are the only vehicles allowed on the Pass), who did an amazing job of minimizing the bumps, but we were still jostled around like rag dolls when he was literally going 5mi/hr! We asked him how often he has to replace his tires and he said that they only have to replace them once a year, because once you learn how to drive the road (it is more about placement than anything), you don’t put as much wear and tear on the car. Unlike much of our trip, where we seemed to bring the rain with us, this was a day that was pretty sunny and very clear, unusually so, as it is still the end of the rainy season. We were very appreciative of this!
Before October 4, 1966, this area (3,000sqkm/1158sqmi) was called Basotho (bah-soo-too) Land, and was under the protection of England. The people are referred to as the Basotho, and the language is Sesotho (seh-soo-too). The land was founded by a king who was taught to bring people to peace. This is reflected today in their handshake, where they put both hands in plain view to show that they are not hiding anything behind their backs, a reflection of “peace, rain, and prosperity.” The King of the Zulu nation was fighting a lot at that time, and people escaped to the Basotho nation and the nation grew. As a result, all of the inhabitants have Zulu blood.
The village we visited had approximately 30 residents, all of whom were from different families. The King invited missionaries to come to Basotho Land and, as a result, the inhabitants are also mostly Christians. The current king has one wife and three children, including a son, who is the youngest, but will be king. The King is just the head of state; the Prime Minister is in control of the government. 2.1 million people live in Lesotho, mostly around the capitol. Lesotho has their own currency even though they are landlocked within South Africa. However, they will also use South African Rand. The main export from Lesotho is water to South Africa. They also have diamond mines, but do not export diamonds anymore. They have livestock for mohair and wool, not for meat, which they only sell in Lesotho. Mini-pap and spinach are their staples, and they do not eat meat on a daily basis.
(delicious!)
(delicious!)
(delicious!)
In this area are pine and eucalyptus trees, which are used for paper, and there are two big paper companies in the area. The Basotho used to bring merino wool from 51km (approx. 32 mi) on the other side of the Lesotho border to sell in South Africa. In fact, most of the Basotho work in South Africa. They use the mountains of Lesotho for grazing, but it gets too cold to do that in the winter. Speaking of mountains, Lesotho is home to the highest mountain south of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which they call “little pretty mountain,” and stands at 3482m (11,423ft) above sea level. The national hat is the Basotho hat, and is shaped like the bottom part of a mountain, with the king’s crown on top.
We were able to observe members of the village, and bought some of the items made by them, money of which goes to support the village, as there is a push to teach them to read and write. We also ate at the Highest Pub in Africa. The restaurant is often asked if they are in Lesotho or South Africa, and they say that the dining room is in Lesotho, and the bathroom is in South Africa. Lol! They do claim to be within Lesotho, possibly to avoid having to pay SA taxes (or so we were told). The food was very good! It was our best meal at that point in our travel on the continent!
Next and final stop – Cape Town, South Africa…